Submerged tanker mooring and cargo transferring system

ABSTRACT

A submerged tanker mooring and cargo transferring system including a base anchored to the sea floor, swiveling mooring means for mooring a tanker to the base, a stationary conduit connected to the base, movable conduit swingable about a vertical axis and connectible to the tanker and aligned with the stationary conduit, swivel means interconnecting the movable and stationary conduits, a sealed chamber at least partially enclosing the swivel means, means for pressurizing the sealed chamber with a gas and for draining liquid therefrom into one of the conduits, a bell movable with the movable conduit above the swivel means, and means extending from the bell to the surface for sampling the liquid in the bell to detect leakage of fluid from the swivel means.

1 1' SUBMERGED TANKER MOORING AND CARGO TRANSFERRING SYSTEM [76]Inventor: David G. Reynolds, 13952 Dunton Dr., Whittier, Calif. 90605221 Filed: DQ24970 21 Appl.No.: 94,394

[52] US. Cl. ..14l/387, 285/13, 285/275 [51] Int. Cl ..B65b 1/04, B65b3/04 [58] Field of Search ..9/8 P; 61/.5, 1 R,

61/1 F, 46, 69; 114/230; 137/236, 236 OS, 312; 141/86, 284, 387, 388;166/5, .6

[56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 51 Apr. 17, 1973 3,610,19410/1971 Siegel ..61/1RX Primary Examiner-Houston S. Bell, Jr. AssistantExaminerFrederick R. Schmidt Attorney-Harris, Kiech, Russe1l& Kern 57ABSTRACT A submerged tanker mooring and cargo transferring systemincluding a base anchored to the sea floor,

bell movable with the movable conduit above the 1,574,211 2/1926 Taylor..285/13 X swivel means, and means extending from the'bell to 2,031,3372/1936 Spalding. ....285/272 X the surface for sampling the liquid inthebell to detect 3,21 1,223 10/1965 Hoch ..166/.6 leakage of fluid fromthe swivel means, 3,455,270 7/1969- Mascenik et a1. ....l14/2303,515,182 6/1970 Kickson et a1. ..137/236 X 5 Claims, 3 Drawing FiguresPATENTEUAPR 1 11915 7 3.727, 652

sum 1 OF. 2

FIG. 2.

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sum 2 or 2 FIG. 3.

DA v10 6 Rem/0L 05 5V H/S ATTORNEYS HARE/5, K/ECH, H1555 8: KER/vSUBMERGED TANKER MOORING AND CARGO TRANSFERRING SYSTEM CROSS REFERENCETO RELATED APPLICATION The present application discloses subject matterwhich is disclosed and claimed in my copending patent application Ser.No. 74,293, filed Sept. 22, 1970, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,670,686.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates in general tomooring and cargo transferring systems for ships, or the like, and, moreparticularly, to a submerged tanker mooring and cargo transferringsystem which permits the tanker to weathervane with the wind and/orcurrent so that its bow always faces the anchor point while the tankeris being loaded or unloaded. The invention is particularly applicable toloading or unloading an oil tanker, although other uses therefor arealso possible.

The submerged tanker mooring and cargo transferring system to which theinvention relates incorporates mooring means which is swivelable above avertical axis and to which a bow mooring line extending to the tanker isconnected, the mooring means permitting the mooring line to swing abouta vertical axis as the heading of the tanker changes with variations inthe wind and/or current. Also located at the anchor point is a swivelmeans interconnecting a stationary conduit and a movable conduitcomprising a hose swingable with the mooring line about the samevertical axis, the movable conduit being connected to the stationaryconduit by a conduit swivel or swivel means. A protective bell or domerotatable with the swingable conduit may at least partially enclose themooring and cargo transferring installation at the anchor point.

RELATED PRIOR ART A submerged tanker mooring and cargo transferringsystem of the general type to which the present invention relates isdisclosed in Mascenik et al. US. Pat. No. 3,455,270, issued July 15,1969.

SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF INVENTION With the foregoing background in mind,one of the primary objects of the present invention is to provide asubmerged tanker mooring and cargo transferring system wherein theconduit swivel is at least partially enclosed by a sealed chamber orchamber means for receiving any leakage from the conduit swivel of thefluid flowing through the conduits, thereby preventing the escape ofsuch leakage into the surrounding water.

Another object in connection with the foregoing is to provide means forpressurizing the sealed chamber with air or other gas, to minimizeleakage into such chamber from the conduit swivel.

Still another object is to provide float controlled means for drainingliquid from the sealed chamber into one of the conduits of the cargotransferring system.

Yet another object is to provide a submerged tanker mooring and cargotransferring system wherein the conduit swivel includes verticallyspaced radial bearings and a thrust bearing between two of the radialbearings.

An additional object is to provide seals associated with. the radialbearings for minimizing leakage from the conduit swivel, two of suchseals bounding the sealed chamber mentioned.

A further object is to provide means for lubricating the bearings of theconduit swivel with a lubricant under pressure, any excess lubricantleaking past the seals bounding the sealed chamber being trapped in'such chamber to prevent contamination of the surrounding water.

Another primary object of the present invention is to provide a floodedbell carried by the movable conduit above the conduit swivel, and toprovide means extending from the bell to the surface for sampling theliquid in the bell. With this construction, any leakage from the conduitswivel, either of the fluid being transferred, or of lubricant, istrapped in the bell and the presence thereof may be detected by thesampling means before sufficient leakage occurs to fill the bell andescape under the periphery thereof. Thus, the possibility ofcontamination of the surrounding water is virtually completelyeliminated, which is an important feature.

Still another object is to space the bell from and to make itindependent of the mooring means for the tanker. Consequently, nothingassociated with the bell and conduit swivel is required to sustainmooring leads, which is an important feature.

The foregoing objects, advantages, features and results of the presentinvention, together with various other objects, advantages, features andresults thereof which will be evident to those skilled in the art towhich the invention relates in the light of this disclosure, may beachieved with the exemplary embodiment of the invention described indetail hereinafter and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a semidiagrammatic view illustrating a submerged tankermooring and cargo transferring system of the invention in use to load orunload a tanker;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the submerged tanker mooring andcargo transferring system; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken as indicated by thearrowed line 3-3 of FIG. 2 of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT OF INVENTION Referringinitially to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the submerged tanker mooring andcargo transferring system I of the invention is designated generallytherein by the numeral 10 and is shown as, anchored to the sea floor 12.A tanker 14 is shown secured to the submerged system 10 by a bow mooringline 16, which is preferably formed ofa synthetic material such asnylon, or the like, but which may also be a cable, chain, or the like.Illustrated as connected to the mooring line 16 by ties 18 is a bow hose20 which forms part of a movable conduit 22 swingable about a verticalaxis in a manner to be described hereinafter. A buoy 24 connected to thesubmerged system 10 marks the location thereof, and performs otherfunctions to be described.

Considering the submerged system 10 in more detail, it includes. a base26 which is suitably anchored to the sea floor 12, as by being connectedto piles 28 driven thereinto. The mooring line 16 is connected to thebase 26 by a mooring means 30, FIG. 2, capable of swiveling about avertical axis with the hose 20, whereby the tanker may weathervane withvariations in the wind and/or current.

The mooring means 30 is completely disclosed and is claimed in theaforementioned copending application, reference to which is hereby made.Consequently, the mooring means 30 does not need to be described indetail herein. Briefly, it comprises a cylindrical, tubular verticalcolumn 32 forming part of the base 26. The column 32 is provided at itsupper end with external annular flange 34 and spaced below this flangeis an external annular shoulder 36 formed by the top of a housing 38encompassing the lower portion of the column 32 and constituting part ofthe base 26.

Encircling the column 32 between the flange 34 and the shoulder 36 is acircular mooring ring 40 having linked therewith a slip ring 42 which isslidable circumferentially of the mooring ring. The slip ring 42 isconnected to the mooring line 16 by a link 44.

With the foregoing construction, as the tanker l4 drifts with the windand/or current, it always remains bow-on to the submerged system 10, andthe mooring means 30 permits swinging of the mooring line 16 about thevertical axis of the mooring means. As the tankerswings, the mooringring 40 slides circumferentially around the column 32, or the slip ring42 slides circumferentially along the mooring ring, or both. Thisprovides a very flexible arrangement which insures the desired swivelingaction about a vertical axiswith no possibility of binding.

It should be noted that the mooring means 30 is connected solely to thestationary base 26, and not to any movable components of the submergedsystem 10. The significance of this will be discussed in detailhereinafter.

The cargo transferring portion of the submerged system includes themovable conduit 22 and a stationary conduit 46 which are interconnectedwithin the base 26 by a conduit swivel or swivel means 48 permittingswinging movement of the movable conduit 22 about the same, verticalaxis as the mooring line 16. Thus, as hereinbefore indicated, themooring line 16 and the hose can swing in unison about the same verticalaxis as the tanker 14 responds to changes in wind and/or currentdirection.

More particularly, the movable conduit 22 comprises an elbow 50 whichthe hose 20 is suitably connected and which includes a depending tube 52coaxial with the mooring means 30 and the conduit swivel 48 and formingpart of the latter. As shown near the bottom of FIG. 3, the lower end ofthe tube 52 registers and communicates with the adjacent end of thestationary conduit 46. The lower portion of the tube 52' and theregistering end of the stationary conduit 46 are enclosed by a sealedchamber 54 suitably connected to the base 26. I I

The tube 52 rotates or swivels in three vertically spaced radialbearings 58, 60 and 62. The upper bearing 58 is sealed relative to thestructure of the chamber justable by a packing gland 70. The lowerbearing 62 is sealed relative to the structure of the chamber 54 and tothe stationary conduit 46 by packing 72 thereabove, the pressure on thepacking 72 being adjustable by a packing gland 74. It is important tonote that any fluid leaking past the packing 68 and the packing 72 canescape only into the sealed chamber 54, which is an important feature ofthe invention.

lnterposed between the upper and intermediate radial bearings 58 and 60is a thrust bearing assembly 76 which resists any tendency of lateralforces applied by the hose 20 to cock the rotatable tube 52. The thrustbearing assembly 76 comprises an external collar 78 suitably fixed onthe tube 52 and equipped on its upper and lower sides with annular wearplates 80. These plates engage annular thrust bearings 82 suitablymounted in the upper wall of the sealed chamber 54. A radial bearing 84encircles the collar 78.

All of the bearings 58, 60, 62, 82 and 84 are preferably made of asynthetic material impregnated with a permanent lubricant. For example,these bearings may be made of Teflon reinforced with fiber glass, andimpregnated with a suitable dry lubricant. However, other materials maybe used.

Additionally, the various bearings 58, 60, 62, 82 and 84 are preferablylubricated with oil to minimize fric tion. For this purpose, the buoy 24may contain a lubricating oil storage tank, not shown, and suitablemeans for delivering lubricating oil therefrom under pressure to theconduit swivel 48 through a lubricating oil line 86. As shown in FIG. 3,the line 86 delivers lubricating oil to the upper radial bearing 58.From this point, the lubricating oil makes its way past and lubricatesthe radial bearing 58, the upper thrust bearing 82, the radial bearing84, the lower thrust bearing 82 and the radial bearing 60. An oil line88 conveys lubricating oil from the intermediate radial bearing to thelower radial bearing 62. Thus, all of the bearings involved in theconduit swivel 48 are lubricated from a common source.

The buoy 24 also contains a suitable source, not shown, of compressedair, or other gas, which is delivered to the sealed chamber 54 through aline 90. The latter is equipped with a check valve 92 preventing reverseflow. With this construction, the sealed chamber 54 can be pressurized,preferably to a valve of the same order of magnitude as the oil or otherfluid flowing through the conduits 22 and 46, so as to minimize leakageinto the chamber past the packing 72, and incidentally the packing 68.

The invention also provides float controlled means 94 for drainingliquid from the sealed chamber 54 into the tube 52 whenever the pressurein the tube falls below the pressure maintained in the sealed chamber.

' This occurs, for example, whenever delivery of oil, or

54 by packing 64 thereabove, the pressure of this packing beingadjustable by a packing gland 66. Similarly, the intermediate bearing 60is sealed relative to the structure of the chamber 54 by packing 68below this bearing, the pressure on the packing 68 being ad- 104responds to the level of any oil-water interface in the chamber 54,withdrawing the water to the tube 52,

while the upper valve 106 opens whenever the liquid level reaches thefloat thereof.

Carried by the tube 52 on a spider 110, FIG. 2, is a dome or bell 112above and coaxial with the swivel means 48. Any leakage past the upperpacking 64, or any other leakage escaping from the swivel means 48, istrapped within the bell 112, which is an important feature.

Preferably, the bell 112 is filled with water so that any lubricatingoil leakage, or transferred oil leakage, rises to the top of the bell.Connected to the top of the bell 112 at its highest point is a samplingline 114 which extends upwardly to the buoy 24. By withdrawing a sampleof liquid from the sampling line 114 periodically, the presence of oilleakage within the bell 112 can be detected. If the leakage becomessevere, the installation can be shut down and the necessary repairs madebefore there is any contamination of the surrounding water, which is animportant feature.

lt will be noted that, as previously mentioned, the mooring means 30 isconnected directly to the base 26 and that the movable conduit 22 andthe bell 112 are spaced from and independent of the mooring means.Consequently, the swivel means 48 is not required to withstand anymooring loads, being required to withstand loads imposed by the hoseonly. In other words, the swiveling of the hose 20 and the swiveling ofthe mooring line 16 are totally divorced from each other so that thereis no connection whatsoever between mooring loads and the swivel means48, which is an important feature.

Although an exemplary embodiment of the invention has been disclosed forpurposes of illustration, it will be understood that various changes,modifications and substitutions may be incorporated in such embodimentwithout departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by theclaims which follow.

I claim as my invention: 1. In a submerged tanker mooring and cargotransferring system, the combination of:

a. a base anchored to the sea floor; b. mooring means swivelable about avertical axis for mooring a tanker to said base; c. a stationary conduitterminating within the lateral confines of said base;

. a movable conduit swingable about a vertical axis and connectible tothe tanker and terminating within the lateral confines of said base;

e. swivel means interconnecting said movable and stationary conduits;

f. sealed chamber means at least partially enclosing said swivel means;

means for draining liquid from said chamber means into one of saidconduits; and

pressurizing said chamber means with air or other gas.

. A submerged tanker mooring and cargo transferring system as set forthin claim 1 wherein said draining means includes float controlled valvemeans.

5. A submerged tanker mooring and cargo transferring system according toclaim 1 wherein said swivel means includes vertically spaced radialbearings and a thrust bearing between two of said radial bearings.

. a bell carried by said movable conduit above said

1. In a submerged tanker mooring and cargo transferring system, thecombination of: a. a base anchored to the sea floor; b. mooring meansswivelable about a vertical axis for mooring a tanker to said base; c. astationary conduit terminating within the lateral confines of said base;d. a movable conduit swingable about a vertical axis and connectible tothe tanker and terminating within the lateral confines of said base; e.swivel means interconnecting said movable and stationary conduits; f.sealed chamber means at least partially enclosing said swivel means; g.means for draining liquid from said chamber means into one of saidconduits; and h. a bell carried by said movable conduit above saidswivel means and spaced from and independent of said mooring means.
 2. Asubmerged tanker mooring and cargo transferring system as set forth inclaim 1 including means for lubricating said swivel means with alubricant under pressure.
 3. A submerged tanker mooring and cargotransferring system according to claim 1 including means forpressurizing said chamber means with air or other gas.
 4. A submergedtanker mooring and cargo transferring system as set forth in claim 1wherein said draining means includes float controlled valve means.
 5. Asubmerged tanker mooring and cargo transferring system according toclaim 1 wherein said swivel means includes vertically spaced radialbearings and a thrust bearing between two of said radial bearings.